MHS Homes

What MHS Homes does

MHS Homes is a charitable housing association and the largest independent social landlord in the United Kingdom, operating as a private company limited by guarantee (mhs homes Ltd, Companies House no: 10704997) registered with the Charity Commission (no: 1177565). Founded in 1990 via a stock transfer from Rochester Upon Medway Council, the organisation manages over 10,000 homes across Medway, Maidstone, Gravesham, Dartford, and Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, serving more than 26,000 customers. Its core offerings span affordable and social rent homes allocated through the Kent Homechoice shared housing register, market rent homes listed on Rightmove, shared ownership properties enabling part-buy part-rent arrangements, garage rentals, and supported living schemes for young people and the elderly. The subsidiary Heart of Medway Housing Association manages an additional 1,200+ homes within the group structure, and the organisation produces approximately 150 new homes per year through its development pipeline.

Revenue derives primarily from recurring weekly rental income across the four rent products, supplemented by shared ownership transactions, a £25,000 charitable hardship fund, and ancillary income from garage rentals at £12.90 per week plus VAT. Distribution combines the Kent Homechoice partnership for social and affordable rent, Rightmove for market rent, direct website portals for shared ownership and self-service account management. The My Account online platform, used by approximately 65% of customers, supports 24/7 account management, rent payment, repair booking, complaint tracking, and statement access, and is complemented by an in-house repairs team plus Liberty Gas for heating systems and a Worklist Manager mobile app used by operatives. Operations are governed by a board including Tenant Board Members, with regulatory oversight from the Regulator of Social Housing and the Housing Ombudsman Scheme.

Name

MHS Homes

Legal name

mhs homes Ltd

Website

https://mhs.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

MHS Homes is a charitable housing association and the UK's largest independent social landlord, managing over 10,000 affordable, social rent, market rent, and shared ownership homes across Kent for 26,000+ customers, producing around 150 new homes annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Housing

NAICS

Other Residential Care Facilities (623990)

SIC

Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Independent Living Real Estate Owners/Operators (REITs & Management Companies) (HLADAAAG)

Keywords

• Social housing provider
• Affordable rental homes
• Shared ownership homes
• Supported living services
• Housing association management

Headquarters

HQ city

Chatham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Affordable and Social Rent: Rental income from social and affordable rent homes for customers on low incomes, allocated via Kent Homechoice housing register.
2. Market Rent: Private rental income from market rent homes (over 350 available), with higher rents than affordable/social rent. Properties listed on Rightmove.
3. Shared Ownership: Part-buy, part-rent model where customers purchase a share of their home and pay rent on the remaining share. Includes new-build and resale properties.
4. Garage Rental: Weekly garage rental income at £12.90 + VAT per week, with £100 deposit and one month's rent in advance required. Anyone can rent, not limited to MHS customers.
5. Hardship Fund: Charitable hardship fund of £25,000 to support customers with energy costs, essential furniture, and food costs, funded by the organisation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MHS Homes is a charitable housing association managing over 10,000 homes across Kent and Medway as the largest independent social landlord in the UK. The organisation provides affordable and social rent homes, market rent properties, shared ownership homes, supported living accommodation, and tenancy support services to more than 26,000 customers. Housing allocation is delivered through the Kent Homechoice shared housing register for affordable/social rent and via Rightmove for market rent properties.

Product overview

MHS Homes is a charitable housing provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of housing solutions across Kent and Medway. The core products include Affordable and Social Rent Homes for those on low incomes, Market Rent Homes for private rental, and Shared Ownership properties enabling part-buy, part-rent arrangements. The My Account online platform serves as the central digital hub enabling customers to manage their accounts, report repairs, pay rent, and access services 24/7. Additional offerings include Supported Living services for young people (Foyers) and older residents, garage rentals, and Mutual Exchange services. The subsidiary Heart of Medway Housing Association manages over 1,200 additional homes. MHS Homes builds approximately 150 new homes per year through its development program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Affordable and Social Rent Homes Social housing at reduced rents for individuals and families on low incomes. Properties allocated through Kent Homechoice based on housing need banding.
• Market Rent Homes Private rental properties including apartments and houses across Medway and north Kent, with over 350 market rent homes available. Properties comply with the Decent Homes Standard and Market Rent Lettings Standard.
• Shared Ownership Homes Part-buy, part-rent scheme enabling purchasers to acquire a share of their home while paying rent on the remaining portion. Both new-build and resale shared ownership properties available.
• Garage Rentals Vehicle storage rentals at £12.90 + VAT per week, available to both customers and non-customers. Requires £100 deposit and one month's rent in advance.
• Supported Living Housing with support services including Foyers for ages 16-25 and supported living schemes for ages 60+, providing accommodation for those needing additional help to live independently.
• Repairs Services Maintenance and repair services including emergency (24-hour response), urgent (5-day response), and standard repairs (20-day response). Multi-trade operatives handle multiple repairs in a single visit.
• Tenancy Support Services Support services for tenants including rent payment assistance, benefits advice, debt and budgeting support, anti-social behaviour support, domestic abuse services, and energy bill support.
• Mutual Exchange (Home Swap) Service enabling tenants to swap homes with other social housing tenants anywhere in the country. Offered through Homeswapper platform with free membership for MHS Homes customers.
• Heart of Medway Housing Association Subsidiary housing association managing over 1,200 homes in the Medway area. Registered with the Regulator of Social Housing as a registered provider with charitable objectives.
• My Account Customer Portal Online customer portal providing 24/7 access to balance checks, rent payments, repair booking, repair progress tracking, statement viewing, complaint tracking, and personal details management.

Quantifiable outcome

• 38% of homes let to people previously homeless (2024/25)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Child's VisionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025MHS Homes Charity of the Year 2025. A small, local Kent-based charity set up to help and support children that have witnessed or been affected by domestic abuse. Works with local agencies to support families through trauma.
• Swale Community Care ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024MHS Homes Charity of the Year 2024. A charity which supports people living in poverty by providing food, clothing and signposting to additional local community services.
• Making MiraclesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023MHS Homes Charity of the Year 2023. A birth trauma and baby bereavement care charity based in Kent. Offers families tailored support, services and tools to deal with trauma and grief.
• Kent HomechoicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between local authorities and housing associations across Kent for shared housing register. MHS Homes uses this register to allocate affordable and social rent homes based on housing need banding. Customers must register with Kent Homechoice to apply for MHS Homes affordable/social rent properties.
• RightmovecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAll MHS Homes market rent properties are listed on Rightmove property platform. This provides wide visibility for private rental listings across the UK property market.
• Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMHS Homes is a member of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, which protects tenant deposits and ensures compliance with deposit protection regulations.
• Liberty GascoreTechnology or IntegrationLiberty Gas handles all boiler, radiator, gas and hot water (central heating) repairs for MHS Homes customers. Contact number: 0800 6345 385.
• National Gas Emergency HelplineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmergency gas safety service - customers advised to call 0800 111 999 for gas emergencies.
• South East Consortium (SEC)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMHS Homes uses SEC framework agreements for some procurement tenders for goods, works and services.
• EEM (Energy and Efficiency Monitoring)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFramework organisation used by MHS Homes for procurement tenders.
• ESPO (Education Services Procurement)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFramework organisation used by MHS Homes for some procurement activities.
• Fusion 21minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFramework organisation used by MHS Homes for some procurement tenders.
• Medway FoodbankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership through Day for Kent volunteering programme. MHS Homes colleagues volunteer with Medway Foodbank, supporting food collection at Morrisons, Strood. Income Team supported foodbank collection collecting over 17 crates of donations.
• Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMHS Homes is working towards DAHA accreditation for their domestic abuse services approach. DAHA is the industry standard for housing providers' domestic abuse response.
• Medway and Maidstone Task ForceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-agency task force comprising MHS Homes, Kent Fire & Rescue, Kent Police and Local Councils to coordinate responses to ongoing issues such as fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour.
• Gillingham Street AngelsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFurniture partnership with Gillingham Street Angels, a local community organisation providing support to those in need.
• Housing Ombudsman SchemecoreOthersMHS Homes is a member of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme, providing an independent dispute resolution service for housing complaints.
• HomeswapperminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMHS Homes switched to Homeswapper as their home swap/mutual exchange provider, allowing customers to join for free to find mutual exchange opportunities.
• Kent Fire & RescueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCan arrange fireproof letterbox through Kent Fire & Rescue for domestic abuse victims. Also partner on Medway and Maidstone Task Force.
• Kent PoliceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Medway and Maidstone Task Force for tackling anti-social behaviour and community safety issues. Also referenced for reporting domestic abuse.
• MoneyHelperminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree, impartial financial guidance service providing help with clear guidance online, over the phone and face-to-face for MHS Homes customers struggling with finances.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Home Group: UK housing association with ~55,000 homes across England. Comparable operating model (affordable/social rent, shared ownership, supported living) and similar charitable structure to MHS Homes, but operating across a broader geographic footprint.
• Clarion Housing Group: Largest UK housing association with around 125,000 homes. A broad incumbent that operates nationally across multiple regions and tenures; comparable to MHS Homes in core offerings but at materially greater scale and geographic reach.
• Peabody: UK's largest housing association with ~104,000 homes across London and the South East. A broad incumbent that, like MHS Homes, focuses on affordable housing and community investment but at significantly larger scale and with deeper resources.
• Notting Hill Genesis: UK housing association formed from the merger of Notting Hill Housing and Genesis Housing Association, with ~64,000 homes. Similar mixed-tenure model and supported housing focus to MHS Homes, but operating across London, the South East, and East Midlands.

Emerging players

• Together Housing: Mid-sized UK housing association managing around 36,000 homes across the North and Midlands. Comparable to MHS Homes in scale, mixed-tenure approach, and supported living services, though operating in a different geographic region.

Direct peers

• Optivo: Major UK housing association operating around 45,000 homes, primarily across London and the South East. Directly comparable to MHS Homes in terms of mixed-tenure housing provision and supported living schemes for younger and older residents.
• Sovereign Housing Association: Large UK housing association with ~67,000 homes, predominantly in southern England including Kent-adjacent areas. Operates social/affordable rent, shared ownership, and market rent — directly comparable business model to MHS Homes.
• Hyde Group: UK charitable housing association managing around 50,000 homes across London and the South East. Comparable to MHS Homes as a similarly structured social landlord with mixed tenure (affordable rent, shared ownership, market rent) and supported living services.
• Guinness Partnership: One of the largest UK housing associations with ~65,000 homes, including significant supported housing and independent living schemes for older people. Similar charitable structure and resident-focused service model to MHS Homes.
• Orbit Group: UK housing association with ~47,000 homes across the Midlands, East and South East. Comparable to MHS Homes through its mixed-tenure model (affordable rent, shared ownership, market rent) and in-house repairs/development capability.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mhshomes

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MHS Homes